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Chapter 288
Feat of Strength (力技 Chikarawasa) is the 288th chapter of manga, Baby Steps. Characters in Order of Appearance *Eiichiro Maruo *Pete Gonzales *Mike Mcguire *Atsushi Taira *Ronnie Medberry Summary Synopsis Chapter opens with Ei-chan thinking that the 9th game in the second set is the most important game up to now, that if he wants to continue a match like this, there's nothing to do but take it here and win. The distribution of the courses of Pete's serves up to now: 45% (wide), 21%, 34% (center). The distribution following awareness of this percentage... In the beginning, he was able to read the course from Pete's form, but now it's different. About 40% of the courses are different from how Pete's form appears. Probably because the speed drops when Pete corrects his form, he'll give some preference to his usual serve. Taking that into consideration, Ei-chan will predict the course of the serve comprehensively. The habitual form is wide...furthermore, from the course percentage, he should watch out for a wide. Pete notes that Ei-chan was able to touch his serve. For the next serve, Ei-chan turns his awareness to the percentage for the courses of the ad court: 40% (center), 8%, 52% (wide). Pete's habit says center. The serve is ruled a fault. Ei-chan thinks he has a chance with the second serve because Pete is cautious and on numerous occasions he's corrected his form. Ei-chan sees Pete's form is for wide, and puts a strong lookout for center. It's a center and he returns it deep. Ei-chan thinks that if Pete won't come forward with this ball, he'll use a high-speed slice confidently. Pete wonders if the ball will go out, but it goes in and he sees Ei-chan at the net. Ei-chan thinks he can't give Pete time to return, and ties the score at 15-15. Ei-chan thinks he'd held back his fastest slice and was able to produce results. Even though just barely, the shot went in, and it's a good thing Ei-chan went to the net proactively. Atsushi notes that in addition to keeping Pete at the baseline, Ei-chan made him float the ball and Ei-chan hit a high-speed slice with a high RBI baseball it's runs batted in, so in tennis a shot that goes in consistently?... Atsushi wonders if Ei-chan held the advantage and even more, succeeded in lowering the risk. If he looks closely, it's tremendously finely calculated tennis. Pete thinks he won't hit a weak second serve to the current Ei-chan. To do that, as much as possible, he wants to play his first serve. He thinks that he has to be careful even with the first serve, that if it's even a little weak, Ei-chan won't hesitate to steal the initiative from him. Ei-chan thinks the last one has to have increased the pressure on Pete's serve even a little. To break Pete, he first has to destroy this serve. At Pete's serve, Ei-chan notes it's a center and furthermore the speed dropped. If it's that speed, he can take it. Pete thinks that this lowers the risk of his serve a bit and he'll compete using volleys. Ei-chan sees Pete come forward; therefore, he decides to leverage the power of Pete's serve and hit a body ball with all his strength. Score 15-30. The onlookers marvel that Ei-chan's able to hit such a fast ball. Plus, if Pete left it alone, it might not have been out. Ei-chan notes Pete's movement had become stiff/tight just now and the circumstances are different from earlier when Pete hadn't been able to hit a body ball. Clearly Pete who has that good dynamic vision hadn't been able to react because Ei-chan smashed his fastest ball today at point-blank range. Ronnie says Ei-chan's return just now is interesting. Atsushi's surprised to see him. Ronnie explains that he has the day off, but this match weighed on his mind, so he came to watch. Ronnie apparently hasn't seen Pete play before, referring to him as the Pete Gonzales who's becoming popular now and concludes he's the type who quite proactively goes to the net to play. Atsushi explains that Pete is a big server and frequently uses serve and volley, but his forehand is also a strong point and he's also a fairly strong player at the baseline. Ronnie agrees that for Pete, serve and volley is one plan, but he wonders how that will turn out today. In this important situation, Pete would have to choose his strongest tactics, and Ronnie wonders if it's inevitable. Atsushi asks what Ronnie means by that. Ronnie confirms that Atsushi understands the reason the players described as serve and volley are dwindling these days. Atsushi replies that recently it's becoming more difficult to get the point even if they come forward, due to the evolution in return techniques and rackets. The number of cases where the speed of a ball hit from the baseline exceeds human reflexes if they come forward is increasing; the ball is too fast they can't react. Ronnie tells Atsushi he's right. That's why in modern tennis, if you want to do serve and volley, a serve that creates a situation where your opponent absolutely can't smash is essential. He concludes that basically Pete has been able to do so up to now, but it appears that Ei-chan is gradually destroying that situation. Ei-chan decides his conclusion is correct. Even Pete is human...he can't react with his usual skill to a ball that's coming at him faster than that board's flashing time. The one a little while ago was just that. If it's that Ei-chan had hit a fast ball, then it becomes one successful countermeasure against serve and volley. Pete sets up to serve and his habit says it will be a center. Ei-chan allots most of his vigilance to a center. He thinks that with this he'll overcome Pete's power and win. He'll overcome it with data and technique. Navigation Category:Volume 30 Category:Training at IMG Academy Arc